I drew this for my favorite hero. 🥰It's the most perfect knight design I've ever seen—I was completely captivated the moment I first laid eyes on him. Neocore, you absolutely nailed it.😭
Unfortunately, not all of my ideas came together the way I wanted. I may revisit this piece and make some adjustments later.🥲
I'll draw one for Mordred too. After all, those two are inseparable.🫶
I think the reason why Sir Kay is always such a loudmouth and why he is always getting his ass kicked in the Romances is because it's a holdover of Flyting.
Flyting is an ancient practice of ritual insult dueling, found in a number of cultures, most notably Norse and Celtic. It involves two parties verbally sparring each other in poetic verse, often with provocations of cowardice and sexual deviancy. In other words, literal rap battles and diss tracks.
Presumably, as one of the oldest characters in the Arthurian Mythos and one rooted in the Welsh poetic tradition, Kay would have been expected to be not just a powerful warrior but also a combative wordsmith that can raise morale, praising allies and jeering opponents.
This comes into conflict when the High Medieval Period comes along and principles of Chivalry and Courtliness came into vogue. The philosophies of that time emphasized the cultivation of a well-mannered and sensible warrior-courtier, not starting needless conflicts amongst peers while maintaining martial hardiness.
The ability to brag and getting under a rival's skin probably ran counter to this new ideal of being a well-behaved knight, so steps had to be taken to curb and remove that culture from the warrior ethos.
And as a result, Kay becomes the punching bag for this push towards gentility. By presenting him as a boorish loudmouth that gets beaten up by other more courteous knights for said bad habit, it serves to enforce the idea that you don't want to be this kind of warrior and ought to practice keeping your mouth shut.
If you dig through the game's dialogue files, you'll find plenty of characters who have unique interactions with Mordred. Yet Mordred never has a special response for any of them. There's something about that that I really love...
Our Mordred—smart, relentless, and dedicated, one who never suffered fools—repeatedly put up with Kay, the untended blade whom the Lady of the Lake herself described as dull.
When they argued in the dungeon, Kay furiously demanded to know whether Mordred remembered killing him. Mordred brushed it off in that infuriatingly casual way of his, pretending not to remember. But I suspect he was secretly delighted, because once again, Kay had ended up in his hands.
In Avalon, almost everyone who had returned accepted that Arthur was beyond saving. Only Kay still clung to the idea of rescuing him. It was, of course, a foolish dream—but Mordred never tried to take it away from him. He even tolerated the prison revolt that began with Kay. Even when he noticed the first signs of it, without fully understanding what Kay was planning, he still allowed him to see it through. Naturally, everything remained under Mordred's control in the end.
Considering the words used in Mordred's own character description, I find all of this genuinely hard to believe.😶
I'm so glad this game gives Mordred and Kay beautiful faces. Mordred looks like some unfathomable demon king, while Kay looks every bit the dashing hero.
It's a game about a knight, who's forced to come to terms with the New Feudalism, as he tries to rent a cell in a castle. Join Sir Kubelhelm and his companion, Sir Hundsgugel as they meet all manner of medieval archetypes and reminisce on times of olde.
When will it be out? Uhh probably in the middle of June!
Stay tuned!
Seeking recommendations for media featuring the Orkney Brothers?
Here’s a curated collection of Retellings, Films, TV shows, and more arranged by character birth order and oldest to newest media. Each recommendation comes with a plot synopsis and review containing spoilers to help you decide what's right for you.
All PDFs link to my Google drive, videos to MEGA drive, and can be found on my blog. Each passage adopts the unique spelling of character names as used in the media.
🗡️ More Best of Masterposts 🗡️
Gawain
Books
Mordred: A Tragedy by Henry Newbolt
Gawaine supports Mordred’s claim to the throne & stands behind his attempt to ascend.
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle
The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle
Gawaine is one of the main characters in all four books. He cucks Pelleas with Ettard, charms his wife the Loathly Lady with his fat wallet & ass, goes adventuring with the other knights, & is at one point cursed to be a dwarf. His grief over the loss of his brothers & sons is especially poignant here I love it so much. Many iconic illustrations of him as well.
The Queen's Knight by Marvin Borowsky
Gawaine is described as “landless, not overly endowed with wits, but honest and proud.” He’s headstrong & determined. He’s often mentioned alongside his buddies Kay, Launcelot, or with Agravaine. Content warning for pederasty.
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
Gawain follows his beloved cousin Ewain into exile. He attempts to use his sun powers to cheat but fails & gets beat up. Then Gawain, Ewain, & Marhalt encounter a maiden, mother, & crone. Gawain takes the maiden for himself & she very quickly ditches him bc he sucks. From here he runs into Pelleas & from there woos Ettarde. Gawain isn't a good person but he's funny & compelling.
The Legend of King Arthur novelization by Andrew Davies
Amazing just like the show. Gawain doesn’t do much until the second half of the book where his involvement with Eleanor of Escalot starts. Extra introspection is always delicious. Full of awesome illustrations.
Guinevere by Sharan Newman
The Chessboard Queen by Sharan Newman
Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman
Gawain of all time I fear. His sun powers have been reversed so it's physically impossible for him to remain awake during the night. His brothers exploit this for pranks, but also strive to help him by strapping him to his horse before dawn so he can ride out with the army. He is childhood besties with Guinevere. Risa, Guinevere's handmaid, says Gawain is the best lover she's ever had. IKTR!! Gawain is the second born son of Morgan here, a bastard, as his elder brother Agravaine is the only wedlock son of Lot. They are Cornish instead of Orcadian, living in Morgan's childhood castle. He's very sweet & fun. Major content warning for the final book for Mordred who tortures & rapes his aunt Morgause & step mother Guinevere, feel free to skip the finale it sours the story.
Exiled From Camelot by Cherith Baldry
Gawain is Kay's husband. There's no other way to say it. Gawain & Gareth are eternally loyal to Kay & Arthur both, but do their best to aid Kay as he struggles through the conflict of distrust, & eventual murder, of Arthur's son Loholt. Baldry's writing is always a treat.
In Camelot's Shadow by Sarah Zettel
The first of a series which begins with a romance between Gawain/Ragnelle combined with the story of the Green Knight. He kisses her when she has tusks what more can I say? There's an interesting family dynamic happening as well when she makes an allusion to becoming the sister of Gawain's brothers & Agravain gets upset by it, unbeknownst to her their father Lot threw their sister off a cliff (like the historical Teneu) so sisters are a sensitive subject. I think the family bonds are strongly present here which I always love in Gawain stories.
Lancelot by Gwen Rowley
Gawain by Gwen Rowley
Gawain is so insanely perfect here. His love for Aislyn (Ragnelle) is so intense & his sense of honor is persistent. His relationship with his mother is compelling, his love for his brothers tender & complicated. He has an interesting rivalry with Lancelot & he’s besties with Dinadan? Good food.
Movies
Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Gawaine is a part of Lancelot’s retinue, along with his brother Gareth the bard. They continuously have silly banter & hijinx. Gawaine stays home with Elaine when Lancelot & Gareth go to war, helping her when her fainting sickness worsens. After Galahad is born, he joins his brother in delivering him to Arthur & Guinevere before he moves on to grandpa Ban.
Prince Valiant (1954)
Gawain is funny here. Valiant knocks him out, mistaking him for the Black Knight, so Gawain adopts him, brings him home to Arthur & takes Valiant’s training to heart. He calls him Val it’s so cute. Later he accidentally falls in love with Valiant’s girlfriend, Aleta, while Aleta’s sister, Ilene, is in love with Gawain. Goofy.
Sword of Lancelot (1963)
Gawain is introduced early in the film. He runs into the hall afraid that he saw Lancelot covered in stuff he thought he was sick but turns out it was bubbles from soap Merlin had given him. (So he was watching Lancelot bathe? Do with that what you will.) Gawain & Lancelot are besties right until Lancelot accidentally kills Gareth while fleeing the castle. He & Gawain have a heartbreaking conflict & most of the battle is cut but Gawain sliced Lancelot’s face, gets bled all over, & then Lancelot has that scar forever. I’m normal about it.
Perceval (1978)
A French adaptation of The Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes set on a stage. Gauvain is so funny & sweet here. After Sagramor & Kay get beat up by Perceval, Gauvain retrieves him for Arthur/Guinevere through friendship & leads him to the king & queen by the hand. Later he chats up the Lady of Lys & when caught with her, uses the chessboard as a shield. It’s epic.
Morte d'Arthur (1984)
In this reading & reenactment of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Gawain fulfills his exact role as his medlit counterpart, vouching for Lancelot after he's caught in the bedchamber of the queen, & going mad following the deaths of his brothers. He reappears in a dream to Arthur surrounded by beautiful maidens. Classic.
Merlin and The Sword (1985)
Gawain is the fun-loving elder brother of Agravaine & Mordred. He's best friends with Lancelot & cordial with everyone at court from Guinevere to Kai to Ninian to Pellinore. Following Guinevere's kidnapping by a Pictish prince, Gawain & Lancelot enter the Hidden World to save her & part ways onto their own paths. After taking a boat to a mysterious island, Gawain is briefly held prisoner, before a pig-faced girl named Ragnelle agrees to aid his escape in exchange for her freedom, which he agrees to. Despite the concerns of his uncle Arthur & mockery of his brothers, Gawain asks for Ragnelle's hand in marriage.
Gawain and the Green Knight (1991)
The most faithful adaptation in English. It tells the story with a unique format of Gawain already set out in his journey to meet the Green Knight recounting the story in chunks while resting at inns. The costuming & sets are bright & colorful, Bertilak is jolly & full of life, Green Knight is camp but also has a fun detail that his voice is raspy after getting beheaded. They kept the script alliterative like the poem which was cool.
King Arthur (2004)
Gawain played by Joel Edgerton is so sexy here. The movie isn’t good but it’s fun. Did I mention Gawain was hot?
Sire Gauvain et le Chevalier Vert (2014)
Leave it to the French to make a super horny version of SGATGK. Beautiful short film with little guy Gawain making out with Lady Bertilak/Sir Bertilak. His pentacle heraldry is front & center here. Loved the Green Knight’s deep gravelly voice. Kinda sexy.
TV Shows
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-1957)
Gawain is introduced while mourning the death of his brother whom was killed in the battle that ended just before the start of the show. He has a fragment of a sword that was left in the wound, which he discovers, with Guinevere’s help, matches a chunk broken off Lancelot’s sword. Gawain challenges him to a duel to the death, but Lancelot spares him, & they reconcile. Later, Gawain is a friend to Lancelot, even lending him his sword.
BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)
Gawain is the eldest Orkney brother, son of Morgause/Lot, nephew of Arthur. He rules. He’s first introduced backing Gareth up when he wants to joust Bors for fun but Bors is like, “Begone fetus.” Gawain also vehemently discouraged Agravain from confronting Arthur about Lancelot & then let his lil bro fumble & refused to talk to Arthur just dipped out with Gareth. So funny. Big bro behavior. He also recognizes incognito Lancelot by the way he fights, goes on grail quest, & fails miserably. His fight with Lancelot over the death of Gareth is the most heartbreaking it’s ever been in my opinion. They fight until Gawain is falling over from exhaustion & just groaning about his revenge. Mordred’s betrayal is the final nail in the coffin & Gawain dies of heartbreak.
Merlin (1998)
Gawain is introduced alongside his father Lot when everyone comes to meet the “boy king” who just pulled the sword from the stone. Gawain supports Arthur, Lot doesn’t. Gawain joins Arthur in what is developing into a war against the rebelling kings, including Lot. Arthur ends up riding up alone & challenging Lot to a one on one, & gives him Excalibur to hold, which convinces Lot that Arthur is legit, so Gawain rides across the field to embrace his father (cries). Gawain loses in a joust to Lancelot which leaves Lancelot as Guinevere’s knight. Gawain leaves with Arthur to do battle, & they return to Camelot falling apart. Gawain & Lot advocate for Guinevere, whom Mordred says should be burned at the stake, but Lancelot has to rescue her. At the final battle, Lot is mortally wounded & Gawain holds him as he dies (cries harder).
Kaamelott (2004-2009)
Gauvain is a silly goose. I haven’t watched very much of this show but I love that he’s besties with Yvain.
Starz Camelot (2011)
One of the first Gawains I ever loved. He’s introduced in episode 3 as a warrior Leontes tries to enlist for Arthur with the help of Kay. He can’t read & is convinced to accompany them back to Camelot after Kay promises to teach him to read. He has two swords & he’s a really compelling character.
Rising Impact (2024)
A cheesy sports anime that stars Gawain. He falls in love with golf and moves to Tokyo to practice where he meets the local champion, Lancelot. They become friends & get scouted by Merlin to enroll at Arthur's Camelot Academy where they are trained to be professional golfers. At a competition with the British school, they golf against Tristan & Percival.
Games
Sonic and The Black Knight
Gawain is "played" by the red echidna, Knuckles, and a boss fight encounter for Sonic. He dual wields two swords collectively called "Galatine."
Agravaine
Books
Mordred: A Tragedy by Henry Newbolt
Agravaine is super important here, Mordred’s confidant, his big bro who supports him whole heartedly. Agravaine’s wife Laurel is also important here, but from the ladies side. He has super hard hitting lines throughout & plays off Mordred’s philosophies really well.
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle
The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle
Agravaine is among Guinevere’s knights! He’s one of many that attempted to defend her when Meleagant comes to kidnap her. He’s present throughout the books, popping in & out of stories & then a partial catalyst alongside his brother Mordred for the fall of Camelot.
Sir Agravaine by P. G. Wodehouse
Agravaine of all time. He’s short, he’s nervous, he’s average looking at best. A total sweetheart that volunteers his aid to a likewise average looking gal named Yvonne who comes to court seeking aid against a dragon. On the journey they fall in love & marry. Adorable illustrations throughout.
Modred, A Fragment by Edwin Arlington Robinson
A tiny story that essentially covers a single conversation between Modred, Agravaine, & Colgrevance. Agravaine seems more hesitant to utilize Colgrevance in their plans as he's an honorable knight worries the trap will backfire. I think it speaks to his character that he wants to see justice done but values the life of others.
The Queen's Knight by Marvin Borowsky
Agravaine is so insane here. There’s no heterosexual explanation for anything he does. He wants Lancelot so bad it makes him look stupid. From literally moment one he’s obsessed & enlists solely because Lancelot invites him personally. Agravaine's also skilled in dressage? What a guy. He’s mentioned by name in the newspaper article about the book published in 1955 which is so cool. My boy is famous! Content warning for Mordred pederasty.
The Legend of King Arthur novelization by Andrew Davies
A great book based on a great show! The author of the novel also wrote the show! Agravain gets extra depth here. His inner thoughts are really compelling, his aspirations to attain the level of recognition Lancelot takes for granted, his reluctance to kill people to reach his goals, & his remorse after he does anyway.
The Chessboard Queen by Sharan Newman
Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman
Agravaine is the eldest son of Morgan le Fay/Lot, older brother to Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, & Mordred. He’s a well-meaning guy, if painfully awkward & a nervous wreck. He frequently calls family meetings with his younger brothers to discuss matters so they can stand as a united front. He helps Gawain manage his sun powers disability & remains fiercely loyal to Arthur, whom he consistently calls “uncle.” He’s also chill with Lancelot for a change. Once Agravaine realized Lancelot had been tricked/trapped by Elaine, he went to the tower they were in & brought Lancelot a horse to help him escape. Agravaine’s pro-adultery & made a pact with Gawain, Gaheris, & Gareth to protect Guinevere. After Morgan retires to live in the Lake Kingdom, he becomes king of Cornwall, where he eventually dies of old age. Major content warning for the final book for Mordred who tortures & rapes his aunt Morgause & step mother Guinevere, feel free to skip the finale it sours the story.
The Book of Mordred by Peter Hanratty
Agravaine is a cousin of Mordred whom he meets at boarding school. After getting caught in bed with another boy, Agravaine was sent there to give his father time to smooth the scandal over. He mistakes Mordred's philosophical talk regarding otherness to mean he knows Agravaine's secret & he freaks him out as he desperately tries to remain closeted.
First Knight novelization by Elizabeth Chadwick
Hear me out. The 1995 movie is bad, but Chadwick’s book is pretty damn good. It obviously focuses mostly on Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot, but Agravaine’s semi-prominent role in the movie is expanded somewhat & we even get his pov! He’s honorable & interesting.
By Camelot's Blood by Sarah Zettel
Agravain is present in each book of the series, but this final installment is about his arranged marriage to Laurel. It's so delicious. Perfect characterization. He’s the type that’s actually extremely anxious all the time but it manifests to everyone else as cold & withdrawn. He doesn’t even know Laurel, they’re a “pair the spares” situation, but actually have a lot in common, particularly their devotion to their families & countries. Word comes that Lot is dying, he’s been mad for years after Morgause disappeared, so Laurel/Agravain head north to deal with that. Laurel has magic so she helps combat the supernatural forces at play. The couple fall in love during this whole time it’s very sweet I love them so much.
Movies
Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Agravaine first appears alongside Mordred & Morgan at the sword in the stone. He’s sent by Mordred to intervene as Arthur travels through the woods but runs into Lancelot/Elaine instead. After getting his ass kicked, he doesn’t do a lot aside from appear at Mordred’s side the whole movie. At the end he jumps Lancelot outside Guinevere’s chamber, gets his face burned off by a torch, then comes back for round two before Lancelot kills him which was pretty metal.
Morte d'Arthur (1984)
In this reading & reenactment of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Agravain fulfills his exact role as his medlit counterpart, scheming with Mordred & subsequently slain by Lancelot outside Guinevere's chamber door.
Merlin and The Sword (1985)
Agravaine gay as hell for Lancelot once again. Introduced by Merlin’s narration as a villain, Agravaine’s first order of business is to get drunk with Gawain then try to fight Lancelot for literally no reason. Agravaine tries to tackle Lancelot as he walks by but gets caught by Gawain, “Gently, gently, little brother!” After Guinevere’s kidnapped by Grak, Arthur leaves Agravaine behind to watch Camelot. Word comes of Arthur’s death, & Mordred crowns himself king, with Agravaine just hanging out vibing, though he’s aghast when Arthur turns up alive. Later he goes with Gawain to retrieve Lancelot/Guinevere from the Hidden World. At the end, he stations men outside the chamber to catch Lancelot/Guinevere, but when Mordred goes to “fetch” Arthur, he returns instead with Excalibur, having killed Arthur. Agravaine is horrified by the unjust death of his king, but succumbs to the sunk cost fallacy, proceeds with the plan, & dies in the battle.
TV Shows
The Legend of King Arthur (1979)
Agravain comes to court with Aunt Morgan & younger brother Mordred. He’s immediately on Lancelot/Guinevere’s case, openly rejecting Courtly Love (for heterosexual reasons). After spying on the couple, he talks to Gawain & Gareth about it, though they yell at him & desperately try to get him to understand it’s none of his business. After Mordred pretends he doesn’t know anything, Agravain goes to Arthur & explains his position, concerned over Arthur’s honor. He’s scolded & sent away like a wounded puppy as none of the others side with him. Later Morgan comes up with a plan to feed Guinevere “truth teller” peaches to make her confess. Guinevere gives her peach to Guido who eats it instead, & dies, leaving Guinevere accused of murder. Agravain is horrified & starts to panic, saying, “The Queen is guilty of much but she is innocent in this. If she is condemned, we are damned!” Studying him in a lab. These events morally degrades him. Later he’s eager to frame Guinevere as if she’s slept with Lancelot, which she hadn’t, then deliver her to the stake, where Lancelot kills him.
Gaheris
Books
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle
The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle
Gaheris starts out as Gawain’s wee squire & accompanies him on his adventures. Later he’s knighted himself & pops in & out of the story similarly to his role in Malory, although he is a morally good character here, never hurting his mother, & his death alongside Gareth is all the more tragic because of it.
The Chessboard Queen by Sharan Newman
Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman
Gaheris is the middle-born Orkney bro but an important part of the family unit, working with Agravaine to help Gawain overcome his disability so he can participate in the battle. Later he becomes very austere & priest-like. A different Gaheris than we’re used to seeing, but interesting nonetheless. Major content warning for the final book for Mordred who tortures & rapes his aunt Morgause & step mother Guinevere, feel free to skip the finale it sours the story.
The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris
This is BIG SPOILERS, but Gaheris was cursed to be a dwarf. While Lynette struggles with her unrequited love for Gareth, who only has eyes for her sister, the dwarf Roger that has been her companion ends up transforming back into his true form, a knight named Gaheris who wins her heart. It’s very romantic.
Gawain by Gwen Rowley
Gaheris shows up to help Ragnelle’s brother Gromer escape a sticky situation, then comes to court. He & Arthur are both grossed out by Ragnelle, but Ragnelle says she recalls (before she was cursed) Gaheris had been her favorite of Gawain’s little brothers. He’s so sweet & funny!
Movies
Morte d'Arthur (1984)
In this reading & reenactment of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Gaheris fulfills his exact role as his medlit counterpart, dying at the stake beside Gareth.
Gareth
Books
The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle
Gareth is the favorite son of Margaise/Lot. He leaves home to make his own way and comes to Arthur's court without a name. He's not very deferential to Arthur, which Kay calls out, only for Gareth to be rude back. From here Kay takes him into the kitchens, names him Beaumains, & puts him to work. He grows up on his adventure with Lynette & marries Layonnesse.
The Chessboard Queen by Sharan Newman
Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman
Gareth is the second youngest son of Morgan le Fay. He's described as unattractive & awkward. He immediately attaches himself to Lancelot & becomes fixated on him. He's so confident that Lancelot is perfect that he dislikes Guinevere for "corrupting" him but ultimately follows his older brothers' leads to protect her from the scrutiny of those who would expose the affair. Major content warning for the final book for Mordred who tortures & rapes his aunt Morgause & step mother Guinevere, feel free to skip the finale it sours the story.
Under Camelot's Banner by Sarah Zettel
The third book in a series which follows Gareth's journey through knighthood & romance with Lynet. He starts out very cocky & unlikable despite apprenticing with Lancelot. Against his brothers' advisement, he challenges Uncle Kai to a duel & loses terribly.
Movies
Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Gareth is a harper in Lancelot's party & the brother of Gawaine. He has a gorgeous singing voice & often encourages Lancelot to join in to coax him out of his melancholy. He & Gawaine have a sweet playful rivalry throughout the movie. After Galahad is born, Gawaine & Gareth bring him south for Arthur/Guinevere to meet before he's sent to grandpa Ban.
Sword of Lancelot (1963)
Gareth is a minor character spoken to by Gawain a handful of times before he's ultimately slain by Lancelot. This is Gawain's motivation for challenging Lancelot to a duel.
Morte d'Arthur (1984)
In this reading & reenactment of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Gareth fulfills his exact role as his medlit counterpart, dying at the stake beside Gaheris.
TV Shows
The Legend of King Arthur (1979)
Gareth is the second eldest son of Morgause/Lot. He comes to court with Gawain. He's a hot-headed youth who challenges Bors to a duel for the fun of it. Later when Agravain & Mordred broach the subject of Guinevere/Lancelot's relationship, Gareth says, "Their love is innocent! The king smiles on it!" Later, after Guinevere is accused of murder, Mador de le Porte is going to fight Lancelot, Gareth takes a boat ride with Bors to talk with him about faith & whether or not Lancelot will win in defense of Guinevere as it's a righteous cause. Later, after Guinevere/Lancelot are caught together, Gareth goes with Agravain to the stake where she's to be burned. When Lancelot & Bors come to rescue her, he's trampled to death by mistake.
Mordred
Books
Mordred: A Tragedy by Henry Newbolt
Possibly the best Mordred ever written. He learns he's Arthur's son right as the kingdom proves fraught with problems Arthur is either unable to or incapable of handling. Mordred first confides his true parentage in Agravaine. From there, their philosophical talk escalates, & they ultimately set the plan to usurp into motion. Mordred is uniquely grounded here with entirely valid concerns for the well-being & stability of the kingdom.
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table by Howard Pyle
The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions by Howard Pyle
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle
Mordred is in all but the very first of Howard Pyle's books. Like Agravaine, he's mostly just hanging out before the fall of Camelot is initiated.
The Queen's Knight by Marvin Borowsky
Mordred is unrelated to Arthur in this book. He's an enemy warlord conquering the land. The story follows many perspectives but Mordred's is fascinating & compelling. Content warning for pederasty as Mordred is portrayed as a repressed gay man who eventually sleeps with a youth before embracing his sexuality afterward, even developing a relationship with Colgrevance during his time undercover "defeated" at Camelot.
Idylls of the Queen by Phyllis Ann Karr
Mordred is Karr's babygirl & it shows. The book is first person Kay's perspective, but Mordred is his worstie & they go traveling together in pursuit of Lancelot so he can defend Guinevere from the murder accusation after Patrise is poisoned. Mordred plainly knows more about himself (ie, Arthur is his father) than he's letting on, & he's descending into a kind of madness about it, which Kay is perplexed by.
The Book of Mordred by Peter Hanratty
The Last Knight of Albion by Peter Hanratty
Mordred is introduced as a neglected child of Arthur living with his witch mother Morgause in the woods. Sensing apparent danger, she abruptly leaves him, but he's found by Palomides & brought to Arthur, not knowing his mother has been burned at the stake. After arriving at court, Mordred struggles to find his place, befriending a young Galahad, then his cousin Agravaine, but not quite fitting in anywhere. He's well-read & nurtures his own philosophies about the world. He develops an eating disorder among other self-destructive behaviors. He goes on Grail Quest with Lancelot & Galahad. He advocates for the well-fare of monsters they find along the way, defending them from Galahad who would see them all murdered. In book 2, it's post-Camlann, & the protagonist is young Percival. He travels around Britain encountering many people displaced by Mordred's war with Arthur as well as meeting Mordred himself. The third book in the series in German & I haven't scanned it yet so I don't know how the trilogy ends. :^(
A Camelot Triptych by Norris J. Lacy
Norris J. Lacy, beloved editor of the Vulgate, blesses us with his own retelling full of entirely good takes. He's a genius. The first part is told by Merlin, second part by Guinevere, & finally Mordred says his piece. It's a fascinating structure which allows for enough narrative openness to indicate the unreliable narrations of each protagonist. Mordred is painted in a starkly unflattering light before we hear his perspective. It's heartbreaking to see how the tragic events of his life shaped his belief. His rationale makes a surprising amount of sense. Despite the perception of his traitorous acts, he believes he's acting honorably by taking down the tyrant Arthur for the benefit of the country, going so far as to say it's not murder if he dies too. It's evident by the time the narrative reaches him, he's resigned to his fate, but considers it a worthy sacrifice.
Movies
Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Modred isn't Arthur's son but appears to be his nephew (Morgan, his mother (I think?) is the "step"-sister of Arthur). He's contesting Arthur for the right to rule, but fails to pull the sword from the stone. After Agravaine fails to assassinate Arthur thanks to an intervention by Lancelot, a war between the two factions breaks out, Modred, Morgan, Agravaine, & the other regional kings versus Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Gawain, Gareth, Percival, & the loyalists. After Modred loses, he, Morgan, & Agravaine join Arthur's court & lay low for many years, plotting. They repeatedly attempt to expose Guinevere/Lancelot's love, but fail until after Lancelot's wife Elaine passes away & he returns to court for good. That's when Agravaine exposes the affair & sets the battle of Camlann into motion. Modred doesn't die here, but mortally wounds Arthur. After Lancelot & Percival put Arthur to rest, Lancelot battles Modred to the death & kills him.
Sword of Lancelot (1963)
Mordred is introduced early as a knight of the Round Table & Arthur's bastard son. He has a tiny falcon Griselda he carries everywhere on his shoulder & talks to. (Agravaine got replaced ig.) Mordred has a romantic relationship with Vivian, a handmaiden of Guinevere's, whom he manipulates into spying for him. He's the butt of jokes from Dagonet for his obvious jealousy & desire to be recognized as Arthur's heir. After exposing Lancelot/Guinevere, he eggs Arthur on in the war against Lancelot. Ultimately, Lancelot & Lamorak are banished to Brittany, but Gawain comes to fetch them after Mordred killed Arthur. Lancelot returns to Britain to battle Mordred & kills him in a sword fight.
Camelot (1967)
Mordred is introduced late in the musical, but he's so cunty in his leather outfit. Tragically his song Seven Deadly Virtues is cut. He bamboozles Arthur & worms his way into the king's confidence, carefully approaching the subject of Guinevere/Lancelot. He eventually reveals the affair & brings in his brothers & friends to lend aid to his cause. The final battle at Camlann isn't shown.
Excalibur (1981)
Mordred is a product of Morgana transforming herself into Guinevere & becoming pregnant with him through Arthur. She raises him in isolation as the land around them withers & the remaining knights search for the Holy Grail. Young Mordred is played by director John Boorman's son. He wears golden armor which reminds me of Greek or Roman armor that has abs carved into it. His helmet has a face as well it's cool. He lures Percival to Morgana's lair where they attempt to trap & kill him, but he escapes. Much later, Mordred has reached adulthood & at last goes to Camelot to meet Arthur & challenge him. It's not until Arthur is restored by the Holy Grail that he's able to ride out, retrieve Excalibur from Guinevere, then go to battle with Mordred. Merlin's ghost shows up & tricks Morgana into using the last of her magic to cover the battlefield in fog & costs Mordred his advantage. He strangles her to death & then battles Arthur, but he's struck through the chest with a spear, hitting Arthur with his own sword before he dies. Iconic. Gorgeous film. 10/10.
Morte d'Arthur (1984)
In this reading & reenactment of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Mordred fulfills his exact role as his medlit counterpart, initiating the trap for Guinevere/Lancelot. The actor is very evocative with his movements & wears black eyeliner. He even hugs Arthur.
Merlin and The Sword (1985)
Mordred is Arthur's bastard son by Morgause. He's pretty lame & whimpy, weak & cowardly. He tries to impress Arthur but fails continuously, even with auntie Morgan's attempts to help. He's besties with Agravaine. He helps facilitate Guinevere's kidnapping by Grak. In the extended cut he has a yucky incest relationship with Morgan that we're going to ignore. He's present at Gawain & Ragnelle's wedding then the next we see him, he's working with Agravaine to expose Guinevere/Lancelot together in the chamber. Mordred goes to Arthur to try & get him to see that Lancelot has betrayed him with the queen. Arthur refuses, but they have a brief heart-to-heart & embrace. Mordred stabs Arthur in the back & steals Excalibur. Agravaine is shook but they push onward. Everyone dies except Mordred who flees Lancelot & returns to Morgan. She summons a dragon but Lancelot defeats that too & Merlin helps by killing Morgan. When Mordred sees he's beat, he tries to surrender, but Lancelot kills him immediately it's kinda funny how anti-climactic it was. Not Mordred's most courageous portrayal, but I like the movie as a whole.
Camelot (1998)
Listen, trust me. I know it's ugly. But hey, written by Peter S. Beagle, okay? Mordred is the son of Morgause/Arthur, arriving at Camelot from the Isle of Avalon where he was raised. Arthur embraces him immediately. Things go awry quickly as Mordred notices the love between Guinevere/Lancelot. When he brings it up to Arthur, Mordred sees for the first time there are limits to Arthur's love. He decides he has to prove it to his father to get him to understand, & sets a trap to catch the couple together. It works, except he didn't account for pro-adultery Arthur, who actually knocks Mordred out himself to allow Guinevere/Lancelot an escape. Later as the factions divide up, Gawain on Arthur's side, Palomides on Lancelot's, etc, they try to reconcile on the field, when a fight breaks out & the battle commences. Arthur is mortally wounded in the fray, which stops the fight immediately. Guinevere, Lancelot, & Mordred run to Arthur & tearfully fuss over him. Vivian & Merlin appear to take Arthur away to Avalon, where his spirit reunites with Morgause.
Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot (2020)
This story follows the plot of Alliterative Morte Arthure. Arthur has seemingly abandoned Camelot in the interest of conquest of Rome. Modred, his bastard son, remained behind & has usurped the throne. He's destroyed the Round Table in favor of a rectangle one with himself at the head. Arthur's loyalists, Agravain, Bedivere, Lucan, & Guinevere try to resist him, but when Modred's magic lady Antigone kills Agravain, they know it's useless. Bedivere & Lucan depart to retrieve Arthur which leaves Guinevere at court to continue resisting Modred's attempts to rule & increasingly forward advances. Guinevere resists him she's the best it's lowkey funny he acts all tough but he's clearly intimidated by her, as she says herself, she's known him since he was a child & refuses to fear him. But eventually he bribes a priest to marry them & they're kneeling at the altar when Lucan shoots & kills the priest (lol) as Arthur's men descend into the hall & kill all of Mordred's men. Eventually Mordred's forces are overpowered & he surrenders at Arthur's feet. Arthur refuses to kill his son & banishes him instead.
TV Shows
The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)
Mordred is introduced alongside Bors as the favorites to win the joust, but they're both defeated by a Fair Unknown who reveals himself to be Galahad. Mordred appears in every episode as both Arthur's advisor as well as the antagonist trying to undermine Galahad's rise to knighthood. He's so funny to me, the way he wrestles Galahad to the pull the sword from the stone, tries to torture him, his cunty fits. Love it.
The Legend of King Arthur (1979)
Mordred is the youngest son of Morgause/Lot. He comes to court with his aunt Morgan & brother Agravain, immediately gossiping about all the court's goings on. He nudges Agravain into his obsession with Lancelot/Guinevere, strategically abandoning the cause when they fly too close to the sun & rouse Arthur's ire. He's clever & obedient to his aunt Morgan. He's a smooth talker who hypes his brothers & sucks up to Guinevere/Arthur, fully convincing them he's a good & honest knight. After Arthur & Gawain head to Gaunes to challenge Lancelot, Mordred usurps the throne & allies with the Saxons, against Morgan's wishes. When Guinevere returns to court, she plots with Bedivere & Griflet to warn Arthur, who returns to fight Mordred. Mordred feigns surrender before stabbing Arthur, receiving a mortal sword blow in return.
Merlin (1998)
Mordred is the son of Morgan le Fay/Arthur. He's raised at Tintagel with his mother & some fay people. He grows to manhood faster than normal & shows up at court as Arthur returns war. Mordred fans the flames of animosity between Guinevere/Arthur by exposing the affair & turning the crowd against her. But she's rescued from the stake by Lancelot. Mordred ultimately goes to battle with Arthur. He's nearly defeated when he stabs Arthur & receives his death wound. So sassy. So sexy. Cunty. Fierce. Not here for a long time but here for a good time.
I still have no idea why Kay can summon a whole array of magical swords and then never actually use them to attack, but damn if he doesn’t look cool doing it.
And Mordred’s shield — the thing that’s supposed to protect him — is covered in spikes. You know exactly what I’m getting at.😶🌫️
They were the bluntest sword and the keenest shield. Kay never pointed his blade at Arthur, and only after Mordred shattered that sword did its tip finally cease to threaten him.😭
I can't help linking the two of them together. They just fit each other so well.
arthur pulling the sword from the stone is so funny to me conceptually because can you IMAGINE being kay in that situation. you break your sword in the tournament so you go up to your shitty twelve year old brother and ask him to get you a new sword so you can yknow keep fighting in the tournament. when he comes back he hands you the sword that you know full well means that he's the rightful king of england. he's also like twelve. you think you should kneel but your body doesn't want to work that way. you ask him where in the fuck he got the sword and he confirms that it is indeed from the big fuckoff rock in the church. he doesn't seem to realize that pulling it makes you king of england. just kind of to see what happens you yell that you pulled the sword from the stone. they ask you to prove it and obviously you can't so arthur goes "hey i actually did it :)" and he puts it back in the stone and then pulls it out again and suddenly everyone in the room is kneeling and you're just standing there like an idiot because okay, sure, what the fuck, your brother is the rightful king of england, why not. arthur looks like he's panicking. it takes a full like ten seconds for you to realize that you staying standing looks like defiance to the king so you kneel. and then your dad asks him "hey since we raised you can you have your brother do all your paperwork forever" and you just kind of have to deal. i would be so pissed off
We all know Kay has a talent for giving people nicknames, and after bringing up Agravain, Mordred casually went on to comment on each of his four brothers, handing every one of them an oddly adorable nickname — while very pointedly leaving himself out. That little menace was absolutely doing it on purpose.
Kay, meanwhile, is just as skilled at tearing people apart with his razor-sharp tongue. I genuinely doubt he’s ever lost an argument in his life. And yet, that particular talent he takes such pride in seems strangely ineffective when it comes to Mordred.
I adore the sense of humor Mordred occasionally lets slip through, and I think it’s one of his most charming and important traits. I’m also very fond of Phyllis Ann Karr’s portrayal of him — she’s incredibly good at writing the entertaining dynamic between Kay and Mordred. Reading that book is a delight every single time.😭
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